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One observer called it the "alligator mouth," the diverging lines that show the growth of
bioscience jobs in Ohio and the decline in overall jobs.

A new analysis shows that the state's bioscience-sector jobs rose 17.9 percent from 2000 to
2008, with a significant share of the growth coming from pharmaceutical companies and research
firms.

BioOhio, a nonprofit trade group, commissioned the study, which was overseen by Cleveland State
University and issued yesterday. The report's goal is to highlight the group's activities and
burnish Ohio's credentials as a site for bioscience companies.

"Ohio is a global bioscience player," said John F. Lewis Jr., vice president of BioOhio, at a
news conference. "That's what makes companies come here. That's what makes companies stay
here."

As of 2008, central Ohio had 14,688 jobs in the sector, 26 percent of the state's total. (For
this report, central Ohio covers 15 counties, which includes rural areas that are not typically
grouped with the Columbus metropolitan area.)

Among the major employers locally are Cardinal Health, a health-care services company in Dublin,
and Battelle, the non-profit research firm in Columbus.

Battelle had the largest expansion project in the sector last year, announcing plans to spend
$200million and add 200 jobs.

Medical-device manufacturers have had the slowest growth of any of the subsectors, with a
nominal decrease in jobs since 2000.

BioOhio officials said they expect this area to grow again after a period of consolidation that
affected just about all manufacturing businesses.